This invention relates to a temperature control device for a beverage brewing and hot water dispensing apparatus.
A fill water displacement beverage brewing and hot water dispensing apparatus provides many advantages when brewing coffee, most notably rapid production of a brewed beverage. Rapid production of brewed beverages is achieved since a heated water reservoir retains a predetermined volume of water in a heated state. Displacement of the heated water retained in the reservoir by fill water distributes the heated water over a beverage brewing substance for infusion thereof producing a brewed beverage. Examples of such beverage brewing apparatus include the Automatic Coffee Maker with Inlet Water Control Means in Response to Cold Water and Hot Water Levels, U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,233 to Martin and the Coffee Making Machine U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,775 to Daugherty.
Displacement of the heated water retained in the heated water reservoir by unheated fill water requires the unheated fill water to be heated to and maintained at a desired beverage brewing temperature to achieve a desired brewed beverage. Heating of the unheated fill water is controlled by thermostatic heating means employing electric, hydraulic (bulb), or bi-metal types of thermostatic controls to control a heating element. Typically the thermostatic control is not positioned at the bottom of the reservoir. When unheated fill water is introduced into the reservoir it settles to the bottom displacing the heated water upwardly towards the top of the reservoir. The thermostatic control will initiate a heating cycle to heat the unheated fill water only after the level of the fill water has reached the thermostatic control.
Heating of the non-heated fill water creates a problem in typical fill water displacement beverage brewing apparatus when multiple volumes of brewed beverage must be produced. This problem is created since the unheated fill water is not heated to a desired beverage brewing temperature prior to infusing a beverage brewing substance. The result of insufficiently heated fill water is an inferior brewed beverage. No known prior art device has addressed or attempted to overcome this problem.